Not really, no. We have comfortably the worst squad in the division. It's

simply a reality that Bassong will play well most of the time then cock it up. Redmond has something missing psychologically. Howson is consistently good, but not quite good enough. It all comes back to the question: which of our first teamers would be first teamers elsewhere? It's a Championship squad in the PL, & the gulf has never been wider.

And it's been close. Klose even - we may well have survived with him replacing Bassong the last few matches. Wisdom misjudging Borini's miscontrol changed the Sunderland game. Jerome's disallowed worldie. O'Neil's brainfart. Yes, we've had good luck as well as bad, but the margins for or or against are tiny & have enormous repercussions - Butterfly Effect syndrome. It's one of the factors making footie endlessly fascinating.

Posted By: dennis moore, May 11, 08:30:12